Neighbours who are noisy are the number one annoyance to all homeowners and in our increasingly crowded cities the problem is increasing. With more older warehouses being converted into flats, and new properties often suffering from flimsy walling or very little separation between residences, it’s incredibly common to hear some noise from next door.

When this is just the occasional raising of voices or slamming of a door it’s quite bearable and you can consider yourself lucky that’s all you have to live with. Even if you have relatively decent neighbours you could still listen in to their conversations, what they’re building, the sound of their glasses being smashed or a restless infant. All these everyday noises become grating if you’re constantly suffering from them. You feel like you’re living somebody else’s rollercoaster lifestyle, or that your own life is being disrupted. Especially irritating is noise that keeps you awake – this can interrupt the waking day and even affect your health.

If assuming your neighbours are only noisy because of the quality of accommodation you’re in what can you do about things? It’s one thing to listen to their irksome brats playing soldiers but all they’re doing is flushing the toilet and disturbing your precioussleep!

Your neighbours may be entirely innocent of the problem. Or they might be offended by your curious quirks! If there’s an easy solution, for example for them not to turn down the TV or to get a different alarm clock it’s worth just going round and having a chat. Be friendly and make sure they know it’s down to the architects. After all, if you can hear them there’s a good chance they can hear you in return. So ask if there’s anything that bugs them to keep your noise down – have you ever listened to loud music late at night?

If you live in rented apartments, talk to the owner. Ask other habitees if they thinkit’s a problem too – you could get the block sound tested to see if it complies with regulations. Of course, some landlords are more concerned than others. If your landlord has insulated as well as they have to, the responsibility rests with you and your own feelings about the disturbance.

Sometimes installing your own acoustic insulation is the most effective solution. It doesn’t have to be all that costly, but you should get an specialist contractor to look at your property up front. A professional will be able to tell you the most effective solution.